Senior students from St John’s Catholic College have taken their concerns about academic pressure to the Northern Territory Youth Parliament, proposing a new law aimed at improving the wellbeing of students in their final years of school.
The Senior Student Wellbeing Bill 2025, introduced by youth members Virginia Q, Harnoor K, Patricia S and Afia A, calls for a dedicated wellbeing week at the end of each school semester for students in Years 10 to 12.
If implemented, the proposed legislation would introduce a mandatory “Free Week” during the final week of each semester. During this period, all regular academic activities including lectures, assignments, tests and presentations would pause.
Instead, schools would offer voluntary wellbeing programs such as mental health workshops, mindfulness sessions, creative activities, sport and career development seminars. Academic staff would remain available for consultation, feedback and revision support, but students would not be required to complete new academic work.
“This isn’t just about numbers, it’s about our peers. Every one of us knows a student who has lost motivation, broken down under stress, or felt like the pressure of exams was too much to handle.”
“After 20 weeks of school, after nearly six months of work, we are not asking for a month off, we are asking for one week.”
“One week that protects students from the last-minute pile-up of stress.”
Afia A
According to the bill, the aim is to “promote student wellbeing, ease academic pressure, and foster a healthier learning environment.”
Introducing the proposal, the student members said the bill responds to the growing mental health challenges facing young Australians.
“Research shows that one in four young Australians between the ages of 15 and 19 experience mental health challenges, often linked to school-related stress,” the Assembly was told.
The proposed initiative referred to by students as the “Week 10 Chill Initiative” would ensure that the final week of term is protected from new coursework and assessment deadlines.
“Completing five Stage 2 subjects alongside a VET course, while balancing work, dance and other responsibilities, I know first-hand the crushing weight of academic pressure”
Harnoor K
For Harnoor K, a Year 12 student herself, the issue is deeply personal.
“I was locked inside my house, drowning in assignments and tests because the cycle was never ending.”
She told the Assembly that many students feel their school holidays are no longer genuine breaks, with major assignments often set in the final week of term and due immediately after returning.
“When even teachers tell us ‘your holidays aren’t really holidays,’ it becomes clear students need structured opportunities to breathe, reset and recharge without guilt,” she said.
These could include mindfulness sessions, recreational sports, creative workshops, career development seminars and access to mental health support services such as counselling.
Importantly, the bill emphasises flexibility for schools across the Territory, including rural and remote communities.
“A small regional school may not host a full wellbeing program,” Harnoor explained, “but it can still provide online drop-in clinics with counsellors, local sports partnerships and extended library access.”
The proposal also recognises the role of student leadership in delivering the initiative.
“Leadership teams, prefects and student representatives will help run the wellbeing activities,” the Assembly heard. “It’s a shared effort, by students, for students.”
Supporters of the bill also pointed to broader research highlighting the scale of the issue.
Headspace reports that one in three young people experience high or very high psychological distress in their final years of school, while surveys consistently show that schoolwork is the leading source of stress for Australian teenagers.
The bill also acknowledges that learning requires balance, not just productivity.
“True learning does not come from relentless deadlines or sleepless nights,” the Assembly heard. “It comes from focus, reflection and the space to grow.”
“What is the point of education if students are too exhausted to learn?”
Patricia S
For the students behind the bill, the message was simple: academic success and wellbeing should go hand in hand.
“We are not asking to get rid of school, exams or assignments,” Harnoor stated. “We are only asking for two weeks in the entire year.”
“Because students deserve to make memories, not just marks.”
